On the way to Timbuktu, there are magical places like Segou, Djenne, Mopti... I liked Segou the most. Perhaps the hypnotising sunset on the Niger river, which made my stay there unforgettable, or perhaps the amicability of the Malians there, or maybe the superb river front promenade, the Sahel colonial architecture, the shaded gardens. And I thought that was it! And then I discovered Mali's response to the Monument Valley and the land of the Dogons. The country is a perfect destination... and I never reached Timbuktu!
